Mega Man X Ties To The Past
by DragonShadow
Summary: Zero uncovers a dark plot against the reploid race, forcing X to do the unthinkable, face him in combat. Added the initial prologue as the beginning chapter.
1. The Price of Immortality

The Price Of Immortality  
  
  
Journal of Roll Light  
  
February 12, 2074  
  
I was shocked when that woman brought back Rock's head... It was so lifeless and horrible... But when Doctor Light told me he could be repaired I had hope that I might see him again. Now Doctor Light is growing ill, his old age is catching up with him. I know he won't last much longer, I will miss him dearly when it happens, but at least Rock will be back... We can be brother and sister again... I'm looking forward to that day almost as much as I'm dreading Doctor Light's unavoidable death... He's my father, and I love him with all my heart... I just hope he lives long enough so we can all be a family again, like we should have been all these years. If only Wily hadn't interfered, we could have lived happily and maybe even now we would be...  
  
August 12, 2074  
  
It's finally happening... Doctor Lights strength is failing him. I watch him stumble more often every day, his face growing more and more gaunt and wrinkled almost every second... Soon I know he'll pass away and I'll be left alone... But still, there's one glimmer of hope for a family. Doctor Light has rebuilt Rock with a slightly different design, but it's him! I hope he will remember me and we can be together again. I will have somebody to be with even after... I can't say it anymore... I just hope he'll come back... We can go through life together... Like we always wanted...  
  
August 14, 2074  
  
Doctor Light has just told me that he can't bring back Rock, at least not the way he was. He'd had to totally dump his memory core and start from scratch. Same personality, but he won't remember anything, even me! The worst part of it all is he can't finish Rock's rebuilding, and he doesn't trust anyone else with the job, he doesn't want to risk another Wily tampering with his systems. So he's going to encase him in a stasis capsule that will finish the reprogramming, but it won't finish for fifty years! On top of all this, Doctor Light's still looking worse, and though he tries to be jovial about it, I can see he knows the end is coming as well as I do. What can I do? If he dies and Rock won't be alive again for fifty years... I'll be alone... For the first time in my life. He told me he's willing to put me in stasis with Rock... But I can't bear the thought of being trapped in that coffin... So I've decided to strike out on my own. I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do... But I'll just have to get by... Alone...  
  
August 27, 2074  
  
It's over... Doctor Light's dead... I knew it would happen soon but... It's one thing to know and another to... watch it happen. They were burying the capsule my brother is even now trapped inside when he just suddenly fell over. More than one person has mentioned the irony of the fact that he died just after they finished sealing the capsule in its little tomb. I am now alone... Wholly alone... I know the other humans don't trust me, they're always staring at me suspiciously, like I am about to go ballistic and destroy a few dozen buildings. I'm not even a war machine, I couldn't destroy a doghouse easily let alone a building. More than once now I've been attacked in the street, saved only by the intrusion of the policemen who have been assigned to protect me, as that was apparently Doctor Lights last wish. It's lonely, I don't want to live like this, I want things to be like they were before... I want to be accepted, not feared...  
  
September 10, 2074  
  
I've decided to leave the big city. I already have a nice small town picked out in Florida next to the beach. Few people really go there and I'm hoping nobody there will know about what I really am... I can live by myself peacefully without fear of being attacked. Still lonely, but at least I won't be afraid anymore. The money for the house is no problem, as I have a tidy budget from the government to work with, I'm their prize object. No matter how many ways they put it "I'm the last of my kind" or "I'm one in a million" what they really mean is "You're ours and we want you safe". I'm not complaining, their help has kept me alive so far, I shudder to think what might have happened without their protection. Hopefully though, after I move, I won't need it anymore.  
  
October 1, 2074  
  
I've arrived in Florida and settled into my new home. It's a nice big place with a wonderful view of the ocean, again thanks in large part to government funding. There are some perks to being somebody's property. Anyway I've been wandering around town, meeting some of the people. They're for the most part really nice, all of them helpful and none of them looked at me angrily or suspiciously, though the clerk at the grocery store obviously was worried I'd try to steal something. I learned later that a couple kids kept breaking in and taking a few pieces of food and he could never seem to catch them. The only thing that marred this wonderful day was that every single one of them kept asking me where my parents were. Why oh WHY did I have to be built as a young girl? I wouldn't have these problems as an adult or even a teenager. I couldn't answer them, I just dodged their questions and went on about my business. I know I'll have to tell them SOMETHING eventually or they'll grow REALLY suspicious and raise attention to me, attention I definitely don't want.  
  
October 20, 2074  
  
Well, people are so far buying that my parents on vacation. It's the best I can come up with for now, and will work until I think up something more permanent. Aside from that though life's been really great. I've been getting to know people around town and they're all really nice. I've even been hit on by a few young boys, who I presume are around the age I look. An interesting experience, but not really something I'd want to continue. Right now everyone's getting ready for the big Halloween festival. I remember at Doctor Lights lab, every year at this time he'd get me a little something to help me cope with life... But anyway, it looks like out here the kids will all be taken around town to ask people for candy. I've already had three boys ask me to go with them, so I just picked one at random and agreed, much to the chagrin of his peers. Even here in this town I seem to be a commodity, but with these kids it's more... innocent and playful. They like how I look obviously, I was made as a beautiful young girl, but I think it also has to do with my personality. Again though, I wouldn't look forward to a long lasting relationship with any of them, they are only kids.  
  
October 31, 2074  
  
I'm so happy! The people around here throw WONDERFUL parties! Everything you could want was there, music, dancing, candlelight... After this "trick-or-treating" thing I went on we all went to a wonderfully gorgeous party. Everything was so perfect, the moon shining onto the ocean water just made the most romantic atmosphere ever! One of the boys my physical age, Jeremy, even asked me to dance. I almost said no to look for more mature company, but that would definitely look suspicious and the last thing I want is prying eyes. So we danced, he was really quite clumsy at it, but his face was so cute and he was trying so hard I gave him an 800 for effort. Almost made me wish I was a real little girl... But enough of foolish flights of fancy. After dancing Jeremy went with me for a little stroll on the beach. Not too far away from the party of course, or his mom would have killed him, but just away from the party a bit. It was the most romantic time I ever had, but of course the boy was still young and mostly talked about comic books and TV shows. Still... I really enjoyed this night, and I'll certainly never forget it.  
  
November 5, 2074  
  
Yikes, people are beginning to question my little vacation story. What do I tell them? Can I trust them with the truth? Would they fear me as much as the people in the city had? No... I can't tell them, not yet anyway. I think they might understand, but even so, it would change everything about how they looked at me. They'd see me as an object just like the government or even worse, an outsider to their community. I don't want to be outcast, I'm beginning to really feel like a part of this place and all its people, the last thing I want is to not be a part of it anymore. I'm going to have to stall for time, maybe I can make them forget about it and everything will blow over.  
  
November 12, 2074  
  
It's over! They've found out about me... They know I'm not human... The looks on their faces just... It was too painful, I tore out of their sobbing and... I need to leave this place... Go somewhere I can start over... Is this how my life's always going to be? Live for a while then move away when they find out the truth? I don't know if I can handle it... Ma  
  
November 13, 2074  
  
Jeremy came into my room in the middle of my last journal entry and we had the most wonderful talk. He was so grown up and just seemed genuinely curious about me. Worried as well, I've never had anyone but Doctor Light really worried about me before, but he seemed more concerned about how their reactions were making me feel than what I really was. Bless his heart, the boy's probably saved my sanity. After our talk he actually had the guts to ask me to go steady, despite the truth. I couldn't help but agree, I'm not likely to find anybody else like him ever, and I have the patience to wait until he grows up a little to start a real relationship. I just hope that when he grows up, and I'm still the same little girl, that he can find it in his heart to love me for real...  
  
December 26, 2074  
  
It's been a long time journal, the people and festivities have been keeping me busy. Jeremy has been just wonderful in every way, even had our first kiss yesterday during the Christmas celebration. It was so wonderful... Everything was absolutely perfect. We wound up outside on the patio looking up at the moon, him wearing eight layers of jackets because of the cold, me in my red dress. It must have been quite a sight for those people walking by, but I don't care. Then he just got me talking and next thing I knew he kissed me. I've never felt that kind of thing before... Is my internal power generator supposed to stop for a few second when I'm kissed or am I malfunctioning? Better run an internal diagnostic soon...  
  
March 5, 2079  
  
Whew, a long time indeed. Had to brush the dust off the old book to maybe make a journal entry. Not that I need it to remember, I do have a photographic memory, but still it's nice to do. Lately I find Jeremy's eye wandering from me to other girls. It's not totally unexpected, as other girls are growing and developing in places I never will. Maybe I was stupid to think he'd be able to resist all this temptation at this stage in his life to stay with me. He is now a teenage boy after all, the most wild beast on the planet. While I'm still a little girl physically. Often when we're snuggling I find him shying away, as though afraid he was doing something wrong. I've told him over and over that I am a young girl in body only, that I am really as smart and mature as he is. He usually just nods and forces himself to relax, but he hasn't been totally comfortable around me for a long time. Maybe I should let him go, not try to hold onto him...  
  
May 18, 2079  
  
Jeremy's left me and sought out real girls. Not surprising, but it still leaves a pretty big gap in my life. I'm alone again, despite the rest of the townsfolk trying their best to cheer me up and make me feel like one of them. I watch him dating another girl and it just... I don't know, something happens to me. I remember all the time we were together on the beach and at that first Christmas party. Memories are all I have now... Of any happy times in my life. Doctor Light... Rock... I miss you. It's been five years and I still miss you as much as I did then... Time passes too slowly for a robot, every nano-second that passes a billion thoughts surge through my head. Nearly all of them memories of what I've lost, what I have to look forward to... More life with more losses. It will never end for me... I can never have a husband, despite the towns hospitality I will never be one of them... Maybe I should finally end it... There's no reason to drag this existence on any longer.  
  
January 1, 2080  
  
I've decided to end it... It's just too much and... I can't take it anymore... Watching everyone I know learn and get older while I'm eternally a child in their eyes. I will never have any real happiness... Doctor Light... I'll see you soon...  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X looks up from the diary, his eyes dry, being unable to produce tears. His face though is a mask of grief for the sister he'd never known. The life he didn't remember. Now he knew why he couldn't remember, it had been stripped away after he'd been destroyed and he'd been re-built without those memories. He'd been searching for the answers to the questions surrounding his creation, and he'd just found a huge piece of the puzzle. How had he been destroyed though? It really didn't matter...  
  
"Are you coming X?" Zero says, looking at him from the next room.  
  
"Yeah..." He says, picking up and aged diary and taking it with him as he joins his friend on his way out of the old abandoned home. He had another piece of the puzzle surrounding his creation, but more was missing. If only Roll had lived to today she probably could have told him everything he wanted to know. As it was, he had only her memories and experiences to go by. Though he couldn't help but wonder what his sister had been like, from the diary, she'd been one heck of a girl.  
  
THE END 


	2. A Vile Situation

A Vile Situation  
  
  
Zero walked along the hallways, heading for the main control center of the Maverick Hunters HQ. He'd been summoned by Doctor Cain for an assignment, which generally meant Zero would have his work cut out for him. The #0 unit of Maverick Hunters that he led was generally reserved for special operations.  
  
When he reached the main control center he found Doctor Cain waiting at a table for him. He looked up when Zero entered. "Zero, I have an assignment for you." He stood up, pulling a couple files out of his satchel. He handed them to Zero as he explained. "Some mavericks have attacked a facility and stolen some sort of research."  
  
"A theft?" Zero asked, taking the files from him curiously. "No offense Doctor Cain, but why is my unit being sent?"  
  
"It was a government facility and they claim the research stolen is meant to be top-secret." Doctor Cain explained as Zero opened up the first of the files, giving him the details of the theft.  
  
"I don't see anything in here about what was taken." Zero said curiously, rifling through the papers.  
  
"Indeed, they refused to tell me." Doctor Cain sneered a bit at this. "You're going to be more fully briefed when you arrive in Washington. This is to be kept strictly confidential, so make sure you trust those you take."  
  
"Understood." Zero began to leave, but turned back to him slowly. "Should I take X with me?"  
  
"No. He's taking some personal time off."  
  
"Understood." This time Zero turned to leave, heading out the door. Ever since X had found that book in the building he'd been pre-occupied, unfocused. Zero knew he was tortured by how close he was to knowing about his past before becoming X, as all evidence pointed to him being older than anyone.  
  
Zero finally forced his mind to the business at hand and read through some of the papers. The mavericks had broken through the roof of the building, catching most of the facility off guard. Every detail of the break in was present, but no clue as to what had been taken.  
  
"New assignment?" Zero looked up to see Panther of the #0 unit standing beside him, pacing him. Her body was mostly human shaped, but black leopard fur decorated her shell. Her face was mostly human as well, but a cats tail protruded from her rear. He hadn't even noticed her approach.  
  
"We're heading to Washington. Round up the entire unit and have them assemble in the operations room." Zero said seriously.   
  
"Must be something big." She replied, looking down at the papers in Zero's hand.  
  
"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. Better to be overly prepared than unprepared." He said, stuffing the papers back inside the file.  
  
"Get no argument from me their." Panther said, looking at his face. "When do we leave commander?"  
  
"Immediately." His firm response seemed to surprise her at first, but she quickly turned and headed off to find the other members of #0 unit. There weren't that many, but they were the best in tracking and hand to hand combat that the maverick hunters had. Whatever had been taken, they'd soon find it.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zero sat in the front seat of the transport, looking back at the rest of his unit sitting in their assigned seats. Against the left wall in the seat nearest him sat Dark Panther, her blade whip wrapped around her waist. It was a regular whip made out of steel with the last two feet of the end shaped into a double sided blade.  
  
To her left was Psycho Mantis. He'd earned the nickname "Psycho" because of his unmatched ferocity in battle. He was covered in a green shell, though basically human-like. His head was almost a hybrid of human and mantis, his arms ended in a pair of blades from the elbow down. The gossamer wings extending from his back were folded forward, as there wasn't any room behind him in the seat.  
  
To Mantis's left was Flash Cheetah. His thin frame left a lot of room in the seat. His shell was mostly orangish-yellow with black stripes dotting his frame, one stripe extending over his right eye. They weren't visible, but his twin morning stars were hidden somewhere on his body.  
  
On the other side, nearest to Zero sat Magma Dragoon. After betraying the Maverick Hunters before, he'd been defeated by Zero. His thirst to combat Zero placated, Dragoon had rejoined the Hunters, under the condition that he be placed under Zero's command. Zero had sought special permission from Doctor Cain and had gotten him reinstated under the #0 unit, with the stipulation that Zero himself would take responsibility if Dragoon ever reneged again.  
  
On Dragoons right was Solid Snake. His body was long and sinuous, seemingly without any joints or hinges. The scale-like armor that covered his body was what gave him the name "solid" and also why he had such sinuous mobility. His arms were longer than most and he had no legs, his coils wrapped around the chairs feet. His only weapons were the claws on his fingers, which were shaped of diamond.  
  
Zero himself included, there were only six members of the #0 unit, but they were the best at what they did. Most other units waged wars on maverick armies, his unit found hiding mavericks and called for backup if things got extreme, but things rarely got so bad they couldn't handle them.  
  
Finally Zero turned to face the front as they passed a military checkpoint. They were nearing the base already. The soldiers had wasted no time in rushing them here, obviously they wanted whatever was taken to be returned immediately.   
  
He couldn't help but gasp slightly as the base came into view. The solid steel walls had holes the size of this transport punched into them, and there was a cloud of thick black smoke issuing from the roof of the building. Obviously this had been no minor or random theft, someone had purposely target something inside this place. He just wished he knew what.  
  
The transport pulled up to the area in front of the building so the maverick hunters could climb out and approach who was obviously the General in front of the building. A sturdy looking human with a grayish brown mustache and a pistol held in its holster by his side.  
  
"Maverick Hunter Unit #0 reporting for duty sir." Zero gave him a salute, knowing the others would follow suit. They were well accustomed to dealing with military officials.  
  
The General looked them over, frowning in contempt. "Is this all there is?"  
  
"It's all we need sir." Already Zero disliked this guy, he was obviously not trusting of reploids.  
  
The General still smirked, but waved his hand so they could stop saluting. "How much have you been told of the situation?"  
  
"Only that someone had broken in and taken something. The details in the files were very vague as well." Zero said, staring at him emotionlessly.  
  
"Good enough. We need you to find these thieves and bring them to justice. How you accomplish this task is up to you."  
  
"With all due respect sir, it would really help us to know what we were looking for. What was taken in the attack."  
  
"It is not your place to question what you're looking for. Find these thieves, that's all you have to do. Dismissed." With that the General turned and left for the inside of the building, stopping to bark out some soldier who'd stopped rebuilding to take a rest.  
  
"A nice fellow if I do say so myself." Panther said beside him, smirking in contempt. "Men like that give soldiers a bad name."  
  
"How are we supposed to find something when we don't know what it is?" Dragoon commented.  
  
"We scope this place out and look for any clues as to what was taken. It would be a lot easier with their cooperation, but we'll just have to work around them. Mantis, you fly up to the roof and see if you can find where the attack stopped, see if anything seems to be missing from their." Zero said, taking instant charge. Mantis simply nodded and took off in a flurry of wing beats, heading for the roof.  
  
"What about the rest of us?" Panther asked.  
  
"The rest of you fan out, look for any clues as to which way the thieves went. Interrogate the soldiers if you have to, we need SOMETHING to go on here." Panther, Dragoon, Snake and Cheetah simply nodded and took off in separate directions.   
  
Zero himself turned and headed around to the back of the facility, looking around him curiously. The blasts in the walls ended at the side, which meant the attack had come from the front of the complex. It seemed to him like a suicidal move, but somehow they'd overpowered the facility defenses and gotten away seemingly scot-free.   
  
Around back he ran into a young girl sitting beside a piece of metal from the wall that had been dragged around back by one of the soldiers, presumably to have the clean up crew either re-shape it or throw it out and get a new one. The girl was kneeling beside it, examining it. She was wearing a soldiers uniform, her bright blue eyes sparkling in the sun. Her hair loose around her, hanging down to her mid-back.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Zero's question seemed to startle her at first, but then she faced him squarely, seemingly determined to stand up to some insurmountable force.  
  
"Go ahead, call the rest of the soldiers on me." She said simply, staring at him determinedly.  
  
"I'm not calling any soldiers unless I find out you don't belong here. Now I'll ask again, who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm... Rachel." She said, looking around her a bit nervously. "You're not with the military around here are you?"  
  
"I'm Commander Zero of the Maverick Hunters #0 unit. Now that we know each other a little better, why don't you tell me what you're doing here?"  
  
"I'm just..." She interrupted by Zero's arm communicator beeping.  
  
Zero lifted his arm, a bit annoyed at the interruption. "Zero here."  
  
Panther's voice comes through on the radio built into his arm. "I think I found something commander. I'm on the east side of the facility."  
  
"I'm on my way." Zero said, lowering his arm and looking up only to find the girl was gone. "Huh?" He looked around for a few minutes, then finally gave up and headed for Panther's position next to the forest on the east side of the complex. When he reached her she was kneeling on the ground, studying it. "What did you find?"  
  
"A trail leading through the forest. Well hidden too." She said, standing up as he approached. "Might be them, but we know where assumptions can lead."  
  
"Hmm... Round up the others, I'll scout ahead on the trail, see if it's them or an ambush."  
  
"Right. Be careful Zero." She waited for Zero's nod before she went back to the complex to find the others. He walked through the forest, following the carefully hidden trail through the underbrush of the forest. The snap of twigs and crunch of leaves being the only real sounds he could hear.  
  
He moved slowly, looking around him cautiously. Everything seemed quiet enough to him, nothing moving in the grass or trees above him. Still he sensed something wasn't exactly right around here, he was being watched from somewhere.  
  
In a flash he whirled suddenly, whipping his laser sword out and slashing at the bat that had flown up behind him. The laser easily sliced it in half, making it plummet to the ground with two heavy thuds, the electrical wiring inside sparking before going dead.  
  
He whirled again in time to see a figure leaping towards him, lashing out with another laser sword. It was intercepted by Zero's own blade, the two sparking with energy as they touch. Zero grunted with effort as he threw his attackers blade to the side, then lunged forward, slashing expertly.  
  
His attacker leapt into the air, avoiding the slash, then came back down with his own strike that would have sliced Zero in half had it connected. Instead of leaping back, zero leapt upward to meet it. They sliced at the same time, the blades whizzing through the air, leaving trails behind them.  
  
They struck simultaneously, the burst of energy from the swords lighting up the forest brightly. When they land they are both facing each other, their swords at the ready. In this moment Zero got the first good look at his opponent... It was Zero, painted black. The saber was blue, but it was indeed Zero himself.  
  
"Who are you?" Zero asked, staring at him in suspicion. "Did you attack the complex?" His double seemed to ignore the question, staring back at Zero, his eyes burning fiercely. Suddenly a blast streaked from the trees, striking Zero full in the back, making him go down with a yell of surprise.  
  
"No, I did." A voice almost familiar to Zero came from behind him as a foot slammed down onto his injured back, making him yell in pain. "I knew they'd send you Zero... Night-night." A swift kick to the back of Zero's head knocked him out cold, everything going black instantly.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X walked into the meeting room slowly, looking over at Doctor Cain as he entered. He'd been on his personal vacation, but Doctor Cain had suddenly called him with an urgent mission. So he'd run back to HQ to receive the assignment.  
  
"Ah, X. I'm sorry to drag you in here like this, especially in the light of recent circumstances, but I thought you'd want to be here." Doctor Cain nodded his head a bit apologetically.  
  
"What's up Doctor?" X asked simply, wanting to know what was so urgent.  
  
"Commander Zero has gone missing on a mission to a military base in America." X perked up and listened intently now. "His unit is still there, searching for him as well as some items stolen from the base. I'm placing you in temporary command of the #0 unit until Commander Zero is found."  
  
"Understood." X agreed immediately. Zero had been his close friend since he'd been built, always there for him. X would not let him go missing like this for no reason. "I'll find him, I swear it."  
  
"I know you will X. That's why I chose you. Dismissed." X turned and walked out immediately, heading for the hangar bay where the hover bikes were kept. He had to hurry, get there before something happened to him...  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X rode through the air rapidly, the hoverbike's engine roaring in the wind. He'd ridden all the way here from Maverick Hunter HQ to begin the search, his ire growing with each second that the rest of Zero's team had been unable to find any trace of him.  
  
He hopped off the bike as soon as it touched ground, approaching Panther furiously. "How could you let this happen!?"  
  
"He was investigating a possible lead." She said with as much of a respectful tone as she could muster with him right in her face. "He disappeared without a trace."  
  
"Well I'm taking charge until we find him. So I'm making locating Zero our top priority!" He's interrupted as a human taps him on the shoulder, demanding his attention.  
  
"Your top priority is locating the stuff stolen from the base."  
  
"Not anymore it isn't." X said, his tone leaving no doubt any objection would quickly be shot down.  
  
"You CANNOT abandon your mission here! You're to find the stolen items from the complex! That is an order from your superior!" With that the human soldier turned and stalked away rapidly, obviously scared to death X would shoot him in the back.  
  
X looked after him a moment, then turned to the rest of Zero's unit. "Fine, we're splitting up into two teams. Cheetah, you'll lead team one. Mantis and Snake, you two stay here with him and investigate the thefts. Dragoon and Panther, you two are with me. We're going to investigate Zero's disappearance. Any objections?" He received looks of determination and understanding from the rest of the unit. They wanted to find Zero as much as he did. "Alright then everybody move out."   
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zero opened his eyes slowly, looking around him curiously. He was in a large metal room with one door set in the wall in front of him. His arms were tied against solid steel posts on either side of him, holding him up even though he wasn't moving at all. The walls around him were like mirrors, each one reflecting his own image back at him, straining simply to keep his eyes open.  
  
The door in front of him opened slowly and the little girl from before walked in, now dressed in a little red dress that seemed a perfect match for her baby blue eyes. "I remember you... You're the girl from the complex..." Zero said, studying her as best he could manage.  
  
"I remember you too." The girl said, walking up to him and smirking at him, even with him on his knees and bent over she stood at his head level. "He's told me a lot about you."  
  
"He?" Zero asked curiously.  
  
"Me." A figure followed the girl through the door, his purple helmet and body armor telling Zero who it is, he finally had a name and face to go with the voice.  
  
"Vile!" Zero stared at him in shocked horror. "We destroyed you!" To zero's horror the girl in front of him stared at Vile with shining eyes, almost admiring eyes.  
  
"Not quite." Vile said, striding casually toward them, talking as he walked.  
  
"I don't know what your game is you murderer, but you're not doing whatever it is." The girl slapped Zero hard, lulling his head to the side.  
  
"You see Zero, I'm not the bad guy this time." Vile said, finally reaching him.  
  
"What... Do you mean?" Zero said, forcing himself to lift his head and face Vile again. Vile simply looked down at the girl, who was glaring at Zero fiercely for badmouthing her hero. Zero debated with himself, but finally decided to take the bait. "Who is she?"  
  
"My name is Roll Light." She said, surprising him.  
  
"No... But your diary... You killed yourself."  
  
"I tried. But do you think they would let the last functioning cyber-human destroy herself? Hell no, they stopped me before I could and locked me in that complex." She said, the contempt and sorrow in her voice plain as day as she looked down at the floor, hugging herself slightly.  
  
Vile placed one hand on her shoulder, continuing for her. "The humans kept her locked away for more than fifty years, trying to find the secrets to making a functional cyber-human. Imagine their surprise when a civilian found a working one and figured out how to reproduce it." The humorous twinge to his voice rings through his helmet. "They threw Roll aside like unnecessary garbage and jumped on the new technology to create us reploids."  
  
"So how did you know... That she was in the complex?"  
  
At this Vile smirked, staring down at Zero. "Three years ago when Sigma was a virus in the mainframe, he was patched into all of his robots, as well as the network. He had information on everything that he could want. This little tidbit leaked through to me and I took notice, deciding to go after her."  
  
At this Zero outright laughed, looking up at him in contempt. "You don't expect me to believe you risked breaking into a government facility just to play the dashing hero do you?"  
  
"Believe what you want Zero. You're upset right now, I'll give you time to think things over. Then I'll show you why I'm here." With that Vile turned and stalked toward the door, shutting it heavily behind him. Roll still stood in front of Zero, staring at him.  
  
"Vile's not evil, he's doing what's good and right." She said, watching him hopefully, obviously wishing Zero would see things her way.  
  
"You may look like a little girl, but you're still a robot. And I'm willing to bet he's reprogrammed you to say this stuff." Her penetrating and hardened gaze met Zero's, the countless hours she'd spent locked inside of her own shell like a mask over her eyes, deadening them to the point she seemed to almost have no life at all.  
  
"I wish I were reprogrammed, then I wouldn't remember..." She shuddered, her imprisonment still fresh in her mind. "Please, just keep an open mind. What he has to show you later will be proof enough, then we can warn others." With that she looked into his eyes one more time before turning and heading out the door, shutting it gently behind her.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X walked through the forest, following the same trail Panther had said Zero followed. Panther and Dragoon trailed behind him, looking about cautiously. X didn't fully trust Dragoon, one reason he wanted to keep an eye on him. Zero did however, so X had to trust his friends judgment, at least partially.  
  
"Watch out X!" Panther yelled suddenly. He looked up just in time to see an energy bolt coming his way. He leapt out of the way just in time to avoid it.  
  
"It's an ambush! Scatter and fight back!" X yelled, returning fire on the sniper in the tree. He could see the figure leap away just before the blast tore the limb from the tree, sending it crashing to the ground. More blasts tore through the tree limbs and underbrush, forcing X, Panther and Dragoon to take cover behind the trees.  
  
X raised his cannon, the slight whirring the only indication of the power stored up inside of it. He whirled out from his cover, firing one mighty blast in the direction of their attackers. The explosion rocked the forest, the trees swaying against their own roots as the force of the blast sent a shockwave rippling through them.  
  
The gunfire stopped as X stood tall to survey the situation. Parts of smaller robots littered the area, likely just attack drones and auto-cannons, nothing to seriously worry about. But he knew something had leapt from the tree before, or had he imagined it?  
  
"Well, that wasn't exactly the biggest fight they could have put up." Panther noted as her and Dragoon came out and joined him in surveying the area.  
  
"Yeah..." X mused as he knelt down to examine one of the metallic robot parts at his feet. On closer examination he saw they were little more than springs and cogs, just enough to resemble a robot body part. "Watch out!" He yelled just before more cannon-fire burst from the trees, forcing the three of them to dodge wildly.  
  
They all dodged the bullets as dozens of smaller robots charged them. They were average military infantry, half the size of a normal human and totally mindless. Used only during crisis and emergency situations. Undoubtedly these had been stolen during the attack on the facility.  
  
X fought in a furious pattern, returning fire on their snipers and placing a few high powered kicks to the infantry, sending them flying away from him with huge dents in their chests.   
  
Panther whirled in a magnificent pattern, the blade on the tip of her whip slicing through the infantry easily. Her cat-like roars of battle sounded through the forest as she fought, sending robot after robot to the ground in two or more pieces.   
  
Dragoon stood his ground, his body glowing white hot as he slashed at the infantry, tearing them to shreds, but he was also mindful that he was in a forest, and could not use his real firepower lest he burn the entire forest to cinders.  
  
"How many of these guys are their!?" X yelled as they still fought on, wave after wave of infantry attacking them in a seemingly endless assault. There just seemed to be no end to them.  
  
"X, we should withdraw!" He heard Dragoon yell over the flurry of gunfire, the blasts coming mere inches from hitting their marks.  
  
Finally X powered up his cannon again, taking aim into the forest. "Retreat!" He fired, the blast ripping through tree limbs and underbrush alike, clearing a nice sized hole through the forest. X ran the other way however, as yet more infantry poured from the forest towards them. He could see Panther and Dragoon a distance beside him, running back toward the complex.  
  
X could only curse himself as he ran, silently swearing to Zero that he'd be back to look for him again.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hours had passed, the seconds endlessly ticking away. Still Zero hung in the center of the room, staring at his own beat up reflection in the countless mirrors around him.  
  
Finally the door opened again and Vile entered, Roll coming in behind him. "Comfy I hope?" Zero stayed silent as he walked up and looked down at him. "Don't be upset at me, I'm not your enemy this time."  
  
"You attacked the base and re-programmed an innocent." Zero said spitefully through clenched teeth.  
  
"I didn't reprogram anyone... You just don't have all the facts. What would you say if I told you your own human friends were planning to throw you out as a defective model?"  
  
"I'd say you're the scheming liar you are."  
  
Roll walked up to Zero then, her eyes almost pleading. "Please, hear him out."  
  
"For years the government has questioned the wisdom of giving us reploids free will with all the power we possess. They fear us because we could rebel at any time and they couldn't stop us, as the recent spat with Repliforce has proven." Vile said, looking down at Zero steadily, unwavering.   
  
"So what does this have to do with anything? We all know they fear us, it doesn't mean they have reason to. Only you mavericks make them fear us!"  
  
"What if I told you they were planning to remove the threat?" Zero looked at him a bit surprised.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Other parts of the data I received from Sigma's control indicated that plans were already underway three years ago to rebuild every reploid existing, every make and model. Only these ones will be unable to act on their own. They'll be mindless robots, used for everything from fighting wars to wiping the spit from your shoe."  
  
"You're a poor liar Vile. Doctor Cain would never agree to that."  
  
"He doesn't know. I do have proof however, I believe you've already met your own twin." Calmly he snaps his fingers, the sound echoing through the room. The black reploid from before walks in, looking exactly like Zero only painted all in black. "Exactly like you. Every nut, every bolt, every crank in his body just like yours. The only difference is he doesn't have the neural net to support intelligent thought. He's purely a creature of action."  
  
"Not the first time someone's made a copy of me." Zero smirked a bit at this. "Did you salvage it from the other crappy copy?"  
  
"I didn't make this one. We found it during our rescue of Roll from the facility."  
  
"I still see no reason to believe a word of this."  
  
"Believe it or not it's happening. You can help me stop it though. This one time I need you to work with me because frankly, you're a damn good fighter." Zero met Vile's steady gaze, his eyes looking as sincere as Zero had ever seen them.  
  
"Why should I believe you? As far as I know this isn't even the real Roll. You could have built her yourself. Why, I don't know yet, but I will."  
  
"Zero..." Vile knelt down on one knee in front of him, gazing at him seriously. "I'm asking you as a reploid, if you don't help me all reploids could be destroyed and replaced with brainless copies. We've had our fights in the past, but this is a fight for our entire race. One we cannot afford to be divided during." At this he held out his hand to Zero as the rope binding Zero's right arm undid itself, freeing that arm. "Help me... Help us all Zero. All reploids."  
  
Zero stared at Vile's hand for a few minutes, contemplating. He'd never seen Vile so sincere, so earnest in his need for help. He undoubtedly had his own agenda behind all of this, but if there was even the chance Vile was right...   
  
Finally Zero took his hand in a firm shake. The rope on Zero's other wrist undid itself as Vile helped Zero lift to his feet. "If I find that any of what you've told me isn't true, you will let me take you in to Maverick Hunter HQ."  
  
"Fair enough." Vile said before looking down at Roll, who stood at about their waists heights. "Take Zero to get repaired, then get him cleaned up."  
  
Roll smiled brightly up at him in response. "Okay!" She watched as Vile turned and left the room, then she turned to look up at Zero. "Thank you for helping us."  
  
"If what he said is true, I really couldn't turn him down." He followed behind her as she left the room, heading down the metal passageways.  
  
"I know what you mean..." She said walking along the passages. "I'm still trying to get used to everything. Reploids, mavericks, hunters... It's so confusing."  
  
"You get used to it..." Zero said sullenly behind her.  
  
"I hope we don't have to fight... I've seen enough fighting... Before..." Her voice cut off as though she couldn't speak anymore, the memories getting the better of her. In all honesty, Zero couldn't argue with her sentiment. But he was a soldier, and if it came down to it, he was ready to face anybody to prevent the kind of thing Vile had talked about, anybody.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X stood in the main operations room in the military base, the soldiers milling about performing tasks all around them. The other five members of the #0 unit were crowded around him, looking down at the same map X was examining. They'd been trying all afternoon to find something on the map that might show where Zero could have been taken within the amount of time they assumed he'd been missing, with no success.  
  
Suddenly the main monitor in the front of the room flared to life, an image of Vile replacing the satellite readouts that had been there before.  
  
X recognized him immediately. "Vile!"  
  
"It's been a long time X." Vile's voice sounds throughout the room, calling the attention of everyone in it to the monitor. "A pity it has to be, again, as enemies."  
  
"As long as you're convinced on killing all the humans we'll be enemies."  
  
"Bold words, but circumstances are different this time. I didn't make the first move, did I General Garamond?" Vile's gaze shifts from X to the General standing fast in front of the screen, watching it calmly.  
  
"You attacked this facility without provocation and stole valuable equipment. Surrender and you will be handed over to the maverick hunters without harm to face trials for your crimes." The General said unwavering in his stance.  
  
"That's right Vile, give this all up, you know you can't defeat us. I've beaten you three times before, and I can do it again." X said.  
  
"Ah X, always the trusting fool. You're playing right into the Generals hands. At this rate, he won't have to destroy us reploids, the hunters and the mavericks will destroy each other. All he'll have to do is clean up the mess."  
  
"Enough lies Vile." X began before the monitor suddenly shifted, displaying Zero's face instead of Vile's. He could hear the startled gasps of the rest of the #0 unit behind him as Zero spoke.  
  
"X, it's all true. I'm sure of it."  
  
"Zero... You're a maverick?" X said, staring at the screen in disbelief. "How could you do this? You've betrayed your own unit!"  
  
"Things aren't so simple this time X. We can't afford to just follow our orders. I've been told our friend the general here is planning to destroy all of the reploids and replace them with mindless machines."  
  
"Zero, Vile's a consummate liar. Don't believe him, he's just trying to turn you against the maverick hunters."  
  
"No, I believe him... With everything he's shown me I believe him."  
  
"Zero... Don't do this. I don't want to fight you, but I will if you force me to by becoming a maverick."  
  
"X... I'm sorry you can't believe me... There is a war coming. We both have to choose sides. I'm just sorry you had to choose the wrong one. If your side wins, the entire reploid race with die out and be replaced by robots. I won't let that happen, I'll do anything I have to in order to stop it."  
  
X is silent for a long moment, staring at his old friend on the monitor. Finally he spoke again, his voice unwavering. "Then I guess I'll meet you on the battlefield."  
  
Zero nodded on the screen, the blue jewel on his forehead flashing in the light. "I hope I won't have to kill you. There's still time for you to change sides, maybe something I can show you will convince you." He seemed seriously saddened as the transmission was cut, leaving X standing on the hard metal floor staring at the screen. Zero had turned maverick... and it was X's job to bring down both him and Vile, at any cost.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. Zero Hour

Zero Hour  
  
  
Doctor Cain sat in the soft chair behind the desk in his office, watching the computer monitor in front of him. He could almost see it happening, slowly but surely the entire maverick hunter HQ was being split into two factions. Ever since Vile had publicly announced his position there had been growing suspicion among the ranks of even the most dedicated maverick hunters. It wasn't just the accusation, but also the fact that Zero had stated he believed it that sparked all of this dissention. Soon they would resort into all out fighting and the HQ would quickly be turned to rubble, along with any chance of protecting the people from Vile and his mavericks.  
  
"Must have been his plan all along..." X commented from his seat on the other side of the desk. They'd been discussing the attack and Zero's defection for the past hour before they'd been informed of the dissention by Dark Panther, Zero's second in command. Now they had to only watch the security monitors to see the suspicion growing rapidly.  
  
"Perhaps... Whatever his plan he's effectively crippled us." Doctor Cain replied, staring at the monitor. He'd called back the #0 unit the minute the transmission had been broadcast. It had reached every home in the world and even overcame most television signals. The only question on everyone's mind now was when would the attack come? It would eventually, it was only a matter of time.  
  
"What can we do to stop it doctor?"  
  
"Do? Round up all the loyal troops we have left and try our best to protect the citizens as well as ourselves." Doctor Cain replied, leaning back in his chair. "For now however, we try to keep what control we can over our forces and pray that we have enough left to put up a decent fight."  
  
X nodded then, looking back down at the monitor. Things just seemed to be deteriorating faster than Doctor Cain could assimilate all the changes. They needed to find a way to disprove Viles claims, but neither of them could think of a way to do that.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Roll flipped through the little book on her bed, reading up on historical events that had passed since she'd been imprisoned. Wars, treaties, space flights, technological advancements, all within the 50-year time frame she'd been out of action. It was a lot to assimilate in a short amount of time. So she decided to take her time and read through it more slowly, like she were reading a good novel instead of a history book.  
  
She stopped cold when she reached a certain chapter called "The Rebirth Of Robotics". The words beyond that headline made her more excited as she read.  
  
"In 2145 a local scientist named Doctor Cain discovered a capsule buried in the yard that had once belonged to another scientist named Doctor Thomas Light. Inside the capsule he discovered the body of a fully constructed cyber-human, the likes of which hadn't previously been seen since fifty years prior. Upon activation Doctor Cain discovered that he was indeed fully functional and quickly set about to re-create it, creating the first of the race known today as reploids."  
  
"Rock's been re-activated!" Rolls shouted, leaping up from the bed excitedly and taking the book with her. She slammed the book shut and carried it with her as she ran out the door, through the winding metal hallways of the maverick base. Finally she bumped into Zero in the halls, who looked down at her apologetically.  
  
"Sorry about that." He said, bending to help her, but she'd already leapt to her feet and shoved the book in his face.  
  
"Rock's alive! Do you know where he is!?" She said rapidly, not giving him time to say anything.  
  
"Rock? Who?"  
  
"Well maybe he's known as Mega-Man, don't tell me you don't know him, he's a legend!"  
  
"Mega... Man?" For a few minutes he just stared at her confused, then finally looked at the book and read a few lines. "That's X."  
  
"X! Yes! That's gotta be Rock! Take me to him!"  
  
"I can't..."  
  
"Why not!? I have to see him! It's been so long!"  
  
"Because, he's still at maverick hunter HQ, unless we can convince him that Vile was being sincere..." He went silent then, but she could see the rest of that sentence clearly in his eyes.  
  
"You're gonna fight him aren't you? You're going to fight my brother." He stayed silent, looking away from her solemnly. "Zero look at me! I look like a little girl but I'm not! You don't have to protect me so tell me! Are you going to fight him!"  
  
He finally looked back at her seriously. "Not if I can help it, but if it all boils down to it I will do what I have to do."  
  
"Let me talk to him first, please." Roll begged, taking one of his hands in hers almost desperately. "Maybe I can convince him that he's on the wrong side! He can join us and we can all fight together."  
  
Zero stared back into her eyes, searching them calmly. "If I knew how you could I would let you, but all communications have been cut by the military."  
  
"I'll... I'll ride there on one of the hoverbikes. I just need you to teach me how to ride one."  
  
"Roll... We don't have time for that. Things could explode any day now, we all have to be on alert. Don't worry..." He said, seeing her worry filled eyes staring up at him. "I'll try my best not to resort to fighting him. That's all I can promise."  
  
Roll sighed at this and looked down in defeat. "Okay..." She said almost too silently to hear.  
  
"Roll..." Zero said, putting a hand under her chin to make her look up at him. "Don't be like this." He said softly, one thumb stroking her cheek gently.  
  
"Zero..." She said, staring up at him. "Please..." She took his hand then and pulled him down to one knee so he was on her level, facing him squarely. "Please don't..." Suddenly she lunged forward, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. She just held onto him for a long time, her shoulders shaking slightly.   
  
She was a bit surprised when she felt his arms close around her as well. "I'm sorry Roll, but I have to do what's right. No matter who I have to face." She could feel him gently stroking her back, smoothing out her red dress. Obviously he didn't see her as a child to be comforted, he saw her as the woman she was.   
  
"Come on, I'll take you to your room." He said, pulling away slightly and standing up, hooking one arm under her legs to lift her off the ground. She didn't complain at all as he carried her down the hall toward her living quarters, the history book she'd been so fervent about now lying on the cold metal floor, forgotten.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X had been pacing around Doctor Cains office for the last hour and a half already, waiting for something to start. It was almost torture just waiting for something to happen when you didn't even know what would happen. All they knew for sure was that they had to be ready for anything.  
  
X found himself jumping slightly as the phone rang. Then cursed himself silently as Doctor Cain picked it up. He listened to the conversation for a few minutes before Doctor Cain hung up.  
  
"What is it?" X inquired.  
  
"They've located the maverick base." Doctor Cain said, standing up from his chair. "But they too have dissenters, they've asked for our cooperation in pulling off a full scale attack."  
  
X nodded calmly, almost expecting something like that. "What units will be involved in the attack?" His tone of voice almost demanded that X's own unit participate.  
  
Doctor Cain nodded solemnly before speaking. "I will issue the orders myself, but the 17th unit will bring up the front of the attack."  
  
"Yes doctor." X said before they both heard the door to the office open. Panther walked in calmly, looking a little surprised to see X their, but otherwise unaffected.  
  
"Ah, Dark Panther. I have a special assignment for you." Doctor Cain said, standing up to walk over and hand her a sheet of paper. "This is the location of the maverick base. We'll be attacking soon... But I want you to temporarily lead the #0 unit to retrieve Zero before the fighting breaks out."  
  
"And... If he resists?" She inquired, looking at him almost worriedly.  
  
"If he resists use any means necessary to get him back to HQ in one piece." Doctor Cain answered, studying her carefully.  
  
"Yes sir." She said, giving a quick salute. Doctor Cain nodded at her and sent her off to carry out her mission.  
  
"The attack will be soon X, you'd better go get your unit ready, or at least those that are still loyal." X nodded and turned to leave then, not saying another word.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zero stood in front of the window, looking out from the underground fortress that was the maverick base. He couldn't believe he'd let himself get so distracted, but there was just something about her. It was like she'd been through so much but still stayed one of the most lighthearted reploids he knew.  
  
Slowly he turned away from the window and looked back at Roll lying in the bed, asleep. Something about her, but he knew that she was X's sister. Thing was, he didn't really care. He was beginning to think he really loved her. Only thing he didn't know was how long they had before he'd have to face X, and she'd probably hate him if he did have to.  
  
Zero found himself giving a small sigh as he approached the bed, stroking Roll's cheek gently. Physical looks meant absolutely nothing to reploids because their looks were shaped by their creators. Even so, he had to admit to himself she was very pretty lying there like that. So vulnerable and innocent he could almost think she was a real little girl, which was also the reason she'd had such a hard go of it when she'd struck out on her own. Everyone thought she WAS a real little girl.  
  
He smiled gently as she slowly opened her eyes, her system powering up again from sleep. She smiled happily up at him, putting her hand on his hand, which was still on her cheek. "Hey."  
  
"Hey." He said, finding himself staring into her bright blue eyes again.  
  
"How long have you been awake?"  
  
"Not long." He said, looking back at the window as something catches his eye. He could have sworn he saw movement out their.  
  
"Is something wrong?" She asked when he looked away.  
  
He quickly put a hand to her lips to shush her, then crept up to the window, looking out cautiously. He didn't see anything out there anymore, it was probably his imagination.   
  
"Zero?" Roll said, sitting up in the bed, letting the blanket fall back down to the bed. She was totally bare of her clothing, but being a robot, didn't really need it. She wore it only to keep the humans happy because she was built to resemble a little girl, while most reploids were designed to have armor.  
  
Zero looked out the window for a few more minutes, then turned back to Roll. "Must have been my imagination."  
  
Suddenly Zero was thrown forward in a shower of glass, slamming into the ground hard. Quickly he leapt back to his feet facing the window. Flash Cheetah stood in front of it, staring at him.  
  
"Cheetah!?" Zero yelled in surprise. If he'd found his way here, the rest of the maverick hunters had to know their location as well. They had to get out of there before they were attacked.  
  
"Zero. Come back with me quietly. The maverick hunters forces are already on their way." Cheetah said, taking one step forward.  
  
"Thanks for the warning, but I can't go back to them knowing what they're planning to do." Zero drew his laser saber as he talked, getting into a fighting position.  
  
Cheetah quickly drew both of his morning stars in response, each about the length of his arm. "They're not planning anything. Please Zero, don't let Vile deceive you."  
  
"No, you're the one being deceived. Now leave, I don't want to fight you."  
  
"I have orders to take you back Zero, by any means necessary." He took a step forward, Zero taking a step away from him, slowly waving his saber warningly.  
  
"Don't make me kill you."  
  
"I'm sorry Zero, you brought this on yourself." Cheetah lunged suddenly, swinging both morning stars mightily. Zero leapt out of the way in time, but Roll shrieked and scrambled quickly out of bed as they slammed into the soft mattress.  
  
"Roll!" Zero yelled, looking over at her worriedly.  
  
"I'm alright." She replied, leaning against the door, staring at Cheetah wearily.  
  
Zero leapt into the air as Cheetah charged him again, slamming both morning stars into the wall, gouging huge dents into it. Zero landed behind him, planting a solid blow to the back of his neck with the hilt of his saber, sending him hard against the wall.  
  
"Last warning Cheetah. Get out of here and I won't have to hurt you." Zero said, the tip of his saber practically touching Cheetah's back.   
  
"I never imagined I would have to fight you Zero. I never thought you would turn maverick." In a flash he'd already whirled away from the saber, lashing out with both morning stars. They slam into Zero's side, throwing him across the room and against the wall, Roll yelling in concern.  
  
Zero couldn't help but moan a bit as he got back to his feet, gripping the saber in both hands, watching Cheetah carefully. "Then don't do this Cheetah. We're not the enemy, they are. They plan to decimate the entire maverick race."  
  
"You're being played like a fool Zero, why don't you see that? Vile is corrupting you into helping him. The only danger here is from him." Cheetah stood firm, not backing down under Zero's heavy-hearted gaze.  
  
For a long time Zero could only stare at him, so sure he was doing the right thing by this. So sure in something that Zero knew was a lie. "I'm sorry Cheetah." Before Cheetah could respond Zero had already leapt forward, the saber swinging in a huge arc. It sliced cleanly through his chest-plate, cutting off vital circuits and wires. He watched in regret as Cheetah collapsed to the floor, going still.  
  
"What do we do now?" Roll asked, pulling her clothes on now for the sake of those humans present in the base.  
  
"We warn Vile that they're planning to attack, we can organize an ambush. End it before it begins." He replied, placing the saber back in its sheath, the laser going dead as it touched the special alloy. Despite that he would rather not have had to fight a member of his own unit, this encounter had been very fortunate for their entire cause.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X stared silently at the map displayed on the monitor. The information on the layout of the entire base had been taken directly from the memory banks of the #0 unit, who'd surveyed the area. Only Flash Cheetah had not returned, so they could assume he'd been caught. This also probably meant they knew the attack was coming. This complicated things a lot.  
  
Despite such a dire situation, X couldn't help but be horribly distracted by thoughts of other things. Why would Zero betray the maverick hunters? It made no sense. He must have been re-programmed or tricked by Vile. That was the only explanation X would accept.  
  
"Your orders commander?" Panther said beside him. She'd been standing there waiting for him to say something for the last half hour, but X couldn't think straight enough to make a coherent plan. Couldn't pull himself together to lead this small unit.  
  
Finally something snapped in his brain, something he'd never considered before as a plan began to formulate. It was a tactic that had never before been considered in battle situations, but it just might work all around here.  
  
"We're attacking the maverick base now." He said simply, ignoring Panther's surprised gasp.  
  
"C... X... There are only five of us here. The attack isn't supposed to begin for another few days. We'd be slaughtered by ourselves!"  
  
"They're expecting a large force attacking head on. What we'll do is sneak in here." He moved one hand to point at an entry on the map. "And slowly wipe out the mavericks, one at a time. They'll never know what hit them, or even that they were being hit."  
  
"We have no idea how many of them there are. To take them all out one at a time could take a very long time. Besides that, we'd surely be spotted fairly quickly."  
  
X ignored her, continuing with his explanation. "We can move through the fortress fairly easily judging from your guys' scouting of the area. Just take out anyone you come into contact with. That's all you have to do."  
  
"What about Zero?" She asked plainly, knowing he was leading up to that anyway.  
  
"If you find him... Destroy him." He looked over at her to see her just staring at him in shock. "We're maverick hunters, he's a maverick, it's not rocket science."  
  
"You can't be SERIOUS!" She shrieked. "We can't kill Zero!"  
  
"Well you're gonna have to!" He yelled back. "Now I am in command here so do NOT question my orders again!" She backed down slowly, glaring at him forcefully. He looked over at the door to see the rest of the unit walk in, looking grim. They'd obviously been eavesdropping. "Now since you already all seem to know the plan. Let's move out."  
  
"It's an insane plan." Dragoon began.  
  
X simply stomped over to him, grabbing him by the neck and pushing him against the wall hard. "You're already suspect here Dragoon! Don't question my orders. Now I said we're moving out." With that X let him go, leaving the room. He could hear the reluctant footsteps of the others as they followed behind him more slowly.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Roll silently wandered through the halls, almost aimless in her wanderings. She'd had plenty of time to think since Zero had been attacked in her private quarters and wasn't at all sure of why she was here anymore. She was pretty sure she loved Zero, she'd never felt that way about anyone and never had anyone feel that way about her. If only he wasn't planning on killing her brother who didn't even remember him or her. If only she could make him remember, then maybe she could convince him that Vile was right this time. That Rock was on the wrong side...  
  
Or was it her on the wrong side? She didn't know anymore, everyone claimed to be on the right side in this confrontation. The mavericks saying they were trying to protect the reploid race from the humans. A claim she knew they'd used often, but this time she was almost living proof that it was true. While the maverick hunters claimed the mavericks were just stirring up trouble again, which was technically true. The mavericks were stirring up trouble, though with just cause.  
  
So both sides were right, but how could two sides of a war both be right? It was horribly confusing to her that it could be this way. If both sides were right, how do you know what side to fight for? Either way you're technically doing wrong by fighting the right while fighting for the right and doing wrong...  
  
So the only option was to do what she thought was best for everyone. Which to her meant trying to find a way to contact her brother and convince him to help the mavericks, and above all, not fight Zero.  
  
Her plan firmly etched in her mind, she turned and headed for the garage where the hoverbikes were kept. She didn't know how to ride one, but she considered herself a fairly quick study. She'd figure it out soon enough, and hopefully she could find Rock before this war began to put a stop to it.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X scanned the area surrounding the known location of the maverick base below ground. There was nothing to distinguish it from any other area of the desert, just as barren and seamless as any place. The base was very well hidden except for what appeared to be an abandoned mine shaft that they knew served as a second exit to the base. From where X stood, the forest surrounding the government facility was clearly visible on the horizon.  
  
As X watched a single hoverbike streaked out of the opening, kicking up a mound of sand behind it as it streaked away from the base, to the left of the team of camped maverick hunters.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Mantis asked as the other came up to join them in watching the lone figure ride across the desert, the bike wobbling unsteadily as though its rider had almost no clue what he was doing.  
  
"Your orders commander?" Panther asked, looking at X. He knew the team still resented his orders, but would follow them as long as he was in charge of the unit.  
  
"We bring him in. See where he's going in such a hurry." Calmly he turned to look at Mantis. "Bring him in unharmed."  
  
"Yes commander." Mantis said before taking flight and heading for the figure.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Roll tried her best to keep the bike steady, but the throb of the motor was throwing her off kilter as she struggled to retain control of it. She had no clue where Rock was, or even if he was on this continent, but she had to find him somehow, she just had to.  
  
A shadow cast on the sand in front of her forced her too look up to investigate just as a reploid comes charging down on top of her, it's clawed feet outstretched. She quickly leapt to the side off the bike, rolling in the sand for a good twenty feet before bringing herself to a stop. The bike continued on its path, making itself completely useless to her.  
  
"Who are you?" She demanded, backing slowly away as the reploid hovered above her, looking down at her piercingly. The bright sun at its back almost blinded Roll, but she stayed firm as best she could.  
  
The figure launched itself down at her again, but she knelt quickly, using both hands to scoop up sand and hurl it into the air. It flew into the reploids eyes, working its way inside the systems of its face, blinding it temporarily. The reploid screeched with rage, the blades on both arms lashing out randomly.   
  
She dodged frantically, but one blade still caught her in the side, tearing through the thin fabric of her dress easily, cutting into her metal alloy skin. The impact drove her to the ground, gripping the wound painfully as sand was tossed up, some flying right into the wound.   
  
She tried to get to her feet, but could only watch in horror as her assailant regained his vision, looking around him to assess the situation. He spotted her almost immediately and shrieked an inhuman wail, lunging at her again.  
  
She gasped in astonished relief as a laser saber blocked the thrust, Zero shoving her assailant back with a mighty push of his weapon. Zero and the other reploid faced each other for a long time, each seeming to size the other up.  
  
The unknown reploid lunged first, striking with both blades in lighting fast strikes, but each one was countered and deflected by Zero's saber, flashing as it came into contact with the two blades.  
  
Zero lunged now, throwing both blades skillfully to the side and slashing fiercely. The strike caught the reploid off guard, tearing into its chest deeply and sending it stumbling backward, sparks flying.  
  
"Sorry Mantis." Zero said before swinging the saber again, but this time a blast throws Zero to the ground, his grip on the saber loosening enough to send it flying away from him. Zero slowly sat up, looking over as another group of reploids approached.  
  
The moment Roll saw him she recognized him, it was Rock. The redesign made him look a lot taller and a bit different, but there was no doubt in her mind it was him.  
  
"Rock!" She exclaimed, starting toward him, but another figure grabbed her from behind, yanking her arms behind her back, not caring that it caused Roll's wound to spark hugely.  
  
Rock... Or X as she guessed he was now called... Walked up to Zero, ignoring her. "Zero..." He said, his eyes narrowing dangerously.  
  
"X, hear me out." Zero said, his voice steady as any Roll had ever heard.  
  
"We'll get you back to maverick hunter HQ, Doctor Cain can fix you and you'll be as good as new."  
  
"The humans are planning to replace all reploids with mindless machines, they think we're too dangerous to contain sentient minds any longer. Not only that, but they don't even consider reploids living things, simply objects to be replaced."  
  
X eyed his old friend carefully, his face betraying no emotions. "Do you have proof Zero?"  
  
"Right over their." Zero said looking directly at Roll, who stared back at X a bit unsure now that this could be Rock.  
  
"And who is this?" X asked, walking over to stand right in front of her.  
  
"My name is Roll Light." She said, staring into his eyes. For a moment she thought she saw a glimmer of real recognition, but then that faded away and the cold exterior she'd been seeing this whole time re-surfaced, though he seemed somewhat surprised by her statement.  
  
"Roll Light died years ago." He said.  
  
"I'm right here... Rock." She said softly, her eyes almost pleading him to remember her, or anything for that matter. "You were there when Doctor Light built me... And Rush." She couldn't help but smile at the memories, but at the same time she felt the pangs of loss that always came with them.  
  
X's eyes betrayed nothing except that he clearly still did not believe her. "How did you survive all these years when your diary stated you killed yourself?"  
  
"They wouldn't let me kill myself, I was too important to technological advancement, the last cyber-human. They locked me up and studied me closely, not caring that I could still hear and see and feel absolutely everything, I was nothing but something to be learned from, a teaching tool, nothing more."  
  
X gulped slightly, his face still a cold emotionless mask. "If you are Roll, then you can tell me what happened to m... Rock and Doctor Light."  
  
Roll looked down at the sand sadly. "You were killed during the last battle with Wily... Some girl brought your head back to the lab for re-building... Doctor Light rebuilt most of you, but ran out of time. He died the same day you were buried in your stasis capsule that would finish the repairs to your systems."  
  
X stared at her wordlessly, his face betraying nothing of what he felt. Suddenly though his whole expression melted into one of grief and sorrow as he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her tightly, startling the reploid who'd been holding Rolls hands behind her back. Roll smiled happily and hugged him back as tightly as she could, knowing she finally had her brother back.  
  
Finally X had to pull away from her, smiling at her happily as she smiled back, each of their hands finding the others, clasping tightly. "I don't remember anything." X said, sounding more than a little confused.  
  
Roll smiled sadly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You weren't supposed to... Your neural net had been tampered with. Doctor Light had had to rebuild it from the ground up to avoid a possible recurrence of the events leading to your... Death."  
  
X nodded in understanding, all the pieces of his life finally falling into place, all the mysteries finally solved for him, but there was one more mystery he had to unravel. Silently X turned to face Zero. "Where did you find her?"  
  
"Vile rescued her from the facility, it was one of the targets of the theft." Zero said, standing up slowly so as not to alarm the rest of his own unit. "I know it sounds suspicious, but it's all true X. If you don't believe me, believe her." He said plainly gesturing towards Roll, who simply nodded.  
  
Silently X looked around at the rest of the #0 unit. Panther seemed totally confused of all of this. Dragoon just looked like he didn't really care, he would follow wherever X told him to go. Mantis was holding the wound across his chest, glaring balefully at Zero. Snake just watched both Zero and X questioningly, waiting to see who would come out on top.  
  
"It's true Rock." She said, looking up at him hopefully, he had to admit they were right now.  
  
X stayed silent for longer than anyone had ever know him to be, the gentle desert wind blowing dust and sand into the reploids joints, making it harder to move than it had to be until finally X spoke again, his voice full of authority.  
  
"Zero... You are hereby under custody for betraying the maverick hunters, and destroying a fellow hunter. " X began, looking at him emotionlessly.  
  
"What!?" Zero exclaimed in surprise as Snake grabbed his wrists, binding them behind his back.  
  
"Rock no!" Roll yelled, grabbing his hand again, but he simply looked down at her, speaking softly.   
  
"My name is X." He said simply as she felt Panther grab her own wrists, binding them behind her back.  
  
"You fool X." Zero said, pulling against his bonds. "Open your eyes! The humans have betrayed you! The same ones you're sworn to protect!"  
  
"Please listen to him Rock!" Roll pleaded to no avail, X's expression was that of a statue as he calmly lead the team back up to where they'd set up home base.  
  
"Pack everything up, our mission is accomplished here." X said matter of factly, ignoring his prisoners pleads and cries.  
  
"Zero..." Roll said, her voice quivering a bit with pent up emotions, horror, fear, and un-paralleled shock.  
  
"Don't worry Roll, we'll be okay." Zero said looking about him darkly, his gaze settling on Dark Panther, who looked away from him silently.  
  
As soon as everything was packed up, X turned sullenly to the prisoners and what was left of the #0 unit. "We're heading back to HQ, we'll decide what to do with these two once we get there." He said, turning to march across the hot desert sands, the rest of the group following, dragging Roll and Zero along with them like cattle.   
  
"Rock..." Roll spoke softly to herself, still in shock over all that was happening. Again the lines of what was right and wrong were blurred beyond definition, had Rock betrayed them by taking them in, or had they betrayed Rock by being with the mavericks. Either way Roll didn't care, the pain deep inside of her was all the proof she needed to know that this wasn't right, this wasn't what should have happened, Rock wouldn't do this... Not the Rock she knew anyway. Maybe even though his body was still alive, Rock had truly died sixty years ago...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Time Of Decision

Mega Man X5 Part 3: Time Of Decision  
  
  
Roll looked over her shoulder at Rock, whose face looked like a stone statue as he prodded the prisoners onward into the Maverick Hunter HQ. She'd been completely unable to get him to listen to any kind of reasoning. Though he'd appeared to almost recognize her, and even seemed glad to see her when he first saw her, he was now acting totally cold and oblivious to her. No matter what she or Zero said or did, he ignored them.  
  
This was Roll's worst nightmare come true, and the worst part was that Rock hadn't even been reprogrammed. He was doing this of his own free will, hauling her off to some cell deep in some building like a traitor or something. She couldn't help the heavy feeling in her heart from knowing he knew the truth, but refused to accept it for some reason. Why was he doing this? She'd thought they would be a family again...  
  
She stumbled slightly as she was shoved into the medium sized cell and the cage was closed behind her. She just watched helplessly as X turned and walked away from her without a word. They'd hauled Zero off to another part of the building, presumably to find out about the maverick base. If only she'd just stayed inside they'd both still be there... About to face a war against her brother...  
  
There was no way to win, no matter what happened or what she did something was always wrong. All she could do now was hope that Rock eventually came around and rescued her like he always did... Hope was all she had...  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zero sat in the chair weakly, his arms tied behind his back as the wires prodded out of his armor shell like vines. The room was almost completely bare save for a single door in front of him, the only sound was the hum of electrical current as it flowed through his system, poking and prodding into his main database. He could feel them searching through his main files, searching for signs of the maverick base.  
  
He was well trained in keeping his memory files to himself however, and managed to elude them for the most part. Giving them only trivial information, seeing it again as it was accessed one by one. Memories he'd long forgotten or vivid memories he remembered with a slight smile. With all of their prodding though, he never revealed the information they wanted to see.  
  
Finally he watched with a hard expression as X walked into the room, closing the door gently behind him. "Why is this necessary Zero?" He said as he walked up to his old friends, looking down at him sadly. "Before, you would have gladly told us everything, told ME everything."  
  
"Things changed." Zero replied, looking up at him pleadingly. "The people you take orders from betrayed you. They're preparing to replace all reploids with mindless servant robots."  
  
"Zero..." X said tightly. "Don't make us dump your memory core to get to the information. We will if we have to." He bent down beside Zero, putting his face close to Zero's ear. "Come on Zero, tell us everything and you can rejoin the maverick hunters. Please."  
  
"I'm sorry X." Zero said determinedly, closing his eyes in sorrow. "Some things are more important than loyalty or friendship, our entire race is at stake. I'm sorry you don't realize it."  
  
"I'm sorry too." X responded, straightening up again. "I really hoped you would come around. You've been a good friend Zero." He turned and nodded towards the door, prompting Dark Panther and Magma Dragoon to walk inside. They silently walked towards Zero, undoing the clasps on his legs and arms, picking him up, one to an arm.  
  
"You don't know what you're doing." Zero said calmly enough to surprise even himself. "They betrayed you, not I."  
  
"We're with you commander." Panther said softly into his ear as her and Dragoon began to carry him towards the hall. "We'll have you out of here soon."  
  
"I will stall X while you two get out of here." Dragoon said, not giving any sign of nervousness. He obviously didn't stand a chance against him, having lost once before to him, but he was clearly willing to do it anyway.  
  
Zero closed his eyes for a moment. "Thank you... Both of you." He opened his eyes and looked over at Dragoon now. "Good luck, try to get out alive if you can." He said softly. Dragoon simply nodded in response. "On three you will take X, Panther and I will try to get out of HQ before he can sound the alarm. One... Two... Three!"  
  
Dragoon whirled and lunged at X suddenly, slashing at him furiously, his claw glowing white-hot as it seared straight through the armor of X's chestplate, sending him against the wall hard.  
  
Zero and Panther dashed out of the room quickly, Panther helping him along as they ran down the hallway. "There's an emergency exit down here not fifty feet away, we should be able to make it while Dragoon stalls X." Panther said as they continued down the passageway.  
  
They managed to make it just outside of the building before the buildings alarm went off, sounding across the field for miles.   
  
"We need a faster mode of travel... Let's get to the hangar, we need a bike." Panther said as she almost had to drag Zero across the courtyard in front of the maverick hunter HQ.  
  
"Wait... We need to... Go back for Roll." Zero said, halting his forward motion quickly.  
  
"We'll find her later!" Panther said, dragging him along behind her again as she rushed toward the hangar quickly. "We don't have a second to lose!"  
  
They burst into the hangar doors suddenly, startling the guards who'd been looking around in confusion at the alarm. She quickly swung her blade-whip, decapitating one guard with one swift jerk and taking out the other on the back swing, slicing him clean in half.  
  
"Get on the bike!" She said hurriedly as he climbed on one of the hover bikes, her climbing on in front of him quickly. "Let's get out of here!"  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Zero asked, leaning weakly against her back, his arms around her waist to stay on the bike with her.  
  
"Because if you say something's not right, then something's not right." Panther replied, powering up the bike and taking off across the field before the bases automated defenses could get a lock on them.  
  
They were quickly out of range of the turrets as they continued across the plains, heading for the forest on the edge of the base. Zero simply leaned against her back wearily. He still felt drained from the probes they'd sent through his body.   
  
"Hold on." Panther said, weaving suddenly to the side as an energy blast blew a crater into the ground beside them. Zero looked back quickly to see several maverick hunters hot on their trail, none from his unit thankfully, and he didn't see X among them.  
  
Their bike wove through the trees expertly as Panther fought to lose their pursuers, but they kept pretty good pace with her, hot on her tail the whole time.   
  
"Damnit." She said under her breath as she rounded another tree, actually scraping Zero's knee against it, putting a gash in his armor. But still the hunters kept on their tail, dodging just as expertly as her.   
  
"Keep going." Zero said, moving his feet beneath him on the bike, crouching down on the seat.  
  
"What do you think you're doing!? You're in no condition for any stunts!" Panther protested, not taking her eyes off of where she was going. Zero reached up to his head and gently opened the compartment to his main neural processor, taking out a single chip.  
  
"Show this to X when you see him." He said, thrusting it into the back of her armor where it wouldn't get dislodged.  
  
"Zero don't be stupid!" She shouted furiously before suddenly catching something in what he said. "When I see X?"  
  
"Sorry Panther. You can still plead emotional attachment." He planted a swift backfist to the side of her head, sending her flying from the bike. He quickly leapt into the seat and took control of the bike, narrowly avoiding an oncoming tree. He caught a few glimpses in the mirror of a few hunters stopping to pick her up as two others continued on after him.  
  
He maneuvered through the forest as best he could, trying to lose the hunters with little success. Desperately he jerked his bike to the side, whirling in a complete one-eighty spin before speeding right towards his pursuit. Both hunters whipped out energy pistols and aimed them at him, opening fire as he put the bike into a spin again, this time deactivating the engines and letting the hoverjets use the momentum to carry it towards the hunters.  
  
Zero leapt off quickly, landing in the brush and grass heavily as he heard the bike slam into the bikes of the hunters, sending them both flying from the fireball created on impact. Both of them landed with heavy thuds on the ground, not moving.  
  
Wearily Zero forced himself to his feet, moving slowly away from the hunters. He hated having to do that, but with any luck, the information on that chip might convince X that what he was saying was true. If only he'd been able to get Roll out with him...  
  
"I'll be back for you Roll, I promise." He said before turning and heading slowly back towards the maverick base.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Roll looked up from her bed as the alarms went off in the base, startling her out of the half-slumber she'd fallen into. She didn't really know how long it'd been or anything, but she knew something was obviously wrong if the alarm was sounding.   
  
After a few minutes it finally went off and everything was as it had been, quiet enough to hear a pin drop clear as a bell. Roll was quite nervous at the sudden stillness, something was obviously going on out there and she hated being totally in the dark about what it was. What if something happened to Zero, or Rock?  
  
She tried not to think about it, there was nothing she could do in any case, so she just lied back on her bed and propped her head up on her hands, staring up at the ceiling. She'd always thought that dreams came true if you only believed in them fiercely enough, but she guessed the dreams didn't really agree with that sentiment.  
  
A noise outside the cell drew her attention to the front, where she noticed Rock standing just on the other side of the bars, staring at her more curiously than menacing.  
  
"Why am I in here?" Roll asked simply, trying not to show how utterly confused and mixed up she was from all of this. She wanted to be strong, like she'd always seen him under any circumstances.  
  
"Because you're a maverick." Rock replied just as simply, walking over to the door of the cell and opening it, stepping inside before closing and locking it behind him.  
  
"Do you always check up on the mavericks you contain?" Roll asked a bit more venomously than she'd intended, she just hated the thought that any of this was actually happening. "Or is there really some bit of Rock... MegaMan inside of you somewhere?"  
  
"I don't know anybody named Rock." He said, walking over and sitting beside her, staring at her curiously. "But I do believe... I was him once." Roll looked at him in surprise, she hadn't expected that after the way he'd been acting and treating her.  
  
"But I don't understand... If you believe me then why..." She said shakily.  
  
"Because I'm not Rock... I'm not MegaMan. My name is X." He said, looking down at the floor, his face an expressionless mask. "This may have been his shell, but this isn't his life. I can't believe I was supposed to be this way when I was created. That I'm just a shadow of this... MegaMan." He stood up then, walking toward the bars of the cell, just looking through them.  
  
"I never thought of it that way..." Roll said softly, looking down at the floor thoughtfully. "If... If you were meant to have a totally new life... Even personality... You... You couldn't have any reminders of who you were..." Her horror grew more as she reached what was to her, an inevitable conclusion. "Doctor Light planned for me to be dead by the time you were re-activated..."  
  
X looked back at her then, watching the horror in her eyes with a mixture of resentment, pity, grief, and just about every emotion he was capable of.  
  
"He put a small chip inside my neural matrix that I didn't know what it did... He knew before he got too old that he wouldn't finish Rock so he had time... I never knew... But now I think I do..." She said, her eyes expressing feelings of hurt and betrayal that she'd never known before. "It was a neural bomb... It was supposed to kill me before you were re-activated... But the government stepped in and shut me down until Vile saved me..."  
  
"Vile saved you!?" X exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"Yes..." Roll said, staring straight down at the floor in grief now. "But now I'm doomed because it's still in me... And I don't even know how long I have left... If it stopped while I was inactive or if it just slowed down..."  
  
"You..." X began just as the door leading to the containment area opened and another hunter walked in, looking at Zero. "Status report."  
  
The hunter gave a quick bow before giving his report. "Zero escaped, taking out two of our hunters. But we apprehended Dark Panther after Zero threw her from the bike." He smirked a bit. "There's maverick gratitude for you." He said ironically.  
  
"Hmmm..." X said, looking back at Roll. "Dismissed." He said, causing the hunter to quickly exit the area. "Looks like Zero's just hunting for enemies..." X said closing his eyes a bit, still disturbed by the idea Zero was a traitor.  
  
"He's trying to save your race..." Roll said softly, not looking at him or even moving. "You should listen to him... Hear him out..."  
  
X simply stared at her for a few minutes more, then turned and left her cell, shutting and locking the door behind him. "I would have liked to meet Doctor Light. He sounds like a good man..." He said, sounding a bit unsure of what he could say to help her, but wanting to. He didn't trust her actions but he knew she was being sincere as she knew it.  
  
"Then why would he... Do this to me..." She said, lowering her said sadly to stare at the floor, ignoring him as he turned and left the detention block. She'd always loved Doctor Light like a father, and she'd thought he'd loved her, so why would he want her destroyed... Why did he betray her?  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
X opened the solid steel door to the interrogation room where Panther was sitting in one of the chairs at the side of a long table, just waiting for him calmly. "You better have a damn good explanation for this Panther." X said ferociously. "Dragoon took the bitter part of your little escape."  
  
"What happened to him?" Panther asked worriedly.  
  
"He's in the infirmary, and from there going straight to the maverick re-allocation center." X said, glaring at her.  
  
"We all did what we thought was for the best of our race." Panther said proudly, standing up to face him.  
  
"What makes you think anything is threatening our race? All you have is the word of a maverick!"  
  
"I have the word of a trusted friend!" Panther retorted, snarling slightly. "What do you have? The word of the very people who are trying to wipe us out!" X stayed silent at that, just staring at her coldly. "Zero wanted me to give this to you." She said finally, taking the chip from the back of her armor and handing it to X.  
  
X took the chip and examined it. It looked to him like a memory storage chip. What would Zero have possibly wanted him to have this for? Maybe he was trying to tell X about the maverick base without appearing to betray Vile, which would make X a lot happier were it true.   
  
"Don't ask me why he'd want you to have anything." Panther snarled, glaring at him.  
  
X just looked over at her for a few minutes. "Go back to your duties."  
  
"What?" Panther said confused. "No punishment?"  
  
"Punishment is to keep hunters from repeating their offenses, but I don't think you will. Because I'm re-assigning you to the 17th unit." X said, looking over at her.  
  
"Your unit!?" Panther exclaimed in surprise. "But why?"  
  
"I can keep an eye on you, but it's only temporary... Only until we get Zero back or replace him as the commander of the #0 unit. The others will be reassigned similarly. You are dismissed." X said, looking down at the chip again to signal that she should take her opening and leave. She didn't hesitate in taking it, getting up from her chair and making haste for the door, shutting it softly behind her.  
  
X sat down on one of the chairs around the table, opening up a slit in his helmet and sliding the chip in, scanning it with his own internal memory processor. Almost immediately he found himself seeing visions through Zero's eyes...  
  
MEMORY ARCHIVE ACCESSED... COLLECTING DATA...  
  
Zero was lying in a bed with Roll right beside him, resting against him with her eyes closed and her mouth curved into a cute looking smile. Reploids didn't really have the capacity for true physical pleasure the way humans knew it, but they found they didn't really need it, the act was more for the emotional aspects of it. The way most humans wished they could operate, reploids did operate.  
  
"I'm glad you're here Zero..." Roll said happily, sighing a bit.  
  
"Me too." Zero said, running one of his hands along her back gently. "There's something I still don't exactly understand though... How did you wind up in a military installation?" He asked, looking down at her.  
  
"Well... You mentioned it so you obviously found my journal..." Roll said, smirking slightly. "I did try to kill myself once I realized I couldn't live a normal life, but when I tried they caught me and stopped me... They took me to that installation and hooked me up to their machines. Trying to figure out the secret to making a fully sentient cyber-human, something only Doctor Light and Wily had been able to accomplish, but both of whom were dead..." At this she paused, looking down.  
  
"We don't have to talk about this, I'm sorry." Zero said apologetically.  
  
"No it's alright... They systematically went through my systems, trying to find out how I was sentient but they couldn't find anything. Nothing special about me over normal robots. But they never let me go... Instead they locked me in a museum for the military officials and put me on display so they could see what would be the next great achievement they'd make... I don't know how long I was there... I faded in and out of consciousness as they worked on me and struck different wires. I couldn't move but I could feel and hear..." She shuddered slightly at the memory, causing Zero to hold onto her tighter.  
  
"It's okay..." He said softly, holding onto her comfortingly. Now there was no doubt in his mind that the humans were capable of what Vile had been saying. They were heartless and ruthless in their attempts at total control. At first he hadn't wanted to go against the hunters, or X, but now he had no choice. He'd have to fight and win...  
  
MEMORY FILE ENDED... RESUMING NORMAL FUNCTIONS...  
  
This was why Zero was fighting. This was why he was actually going against everything he'd previously tried to uphold. X was by this time thoroughly confused about who was telling the truth here. All evidence seemed to be split right down the middle of either Vile or the government being right. He didn't think for an instant doctor Cain would betray him, but if even he was being lied to...  
  
X just sat in the chair, staring straight ahead of him, deep in thought. He didn't know who to trust anymore, so all he could do now was try to do what was right... And stop Vile, who always seemed to have his own agenda no matter what mask he chose to wear in daylight.  
  
Idly somewhere in the corner of his mind he noted a voice coming over the intercom of maverick hunter HQ. "Hunter units 12, 15 and 17 report to docking bay five. Units 12, 15 and 17 report to docking bay five." Silently X stood up from his seat, looking out the window swiftly before heading for the door. This could only mean one thing, they were finally moving in to make the first attack.   
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Roll sat straight up in bed as the voice rang over the intercom. It was starting... She had to get out of here and stop this before Zero or X got hurt. She couldn't help but feel if she'd never been here things would have been going a lot more smoothly up until this point... She had to fix everything... Or die trying.  
  
Silently she crept up off her bed and walked up to the bars, sized to keep normal sized reploids inside with relative ease, but she was hardly normal size. Her childs frame slipped easily through the bars, her dress waving a bit as she darted across the floor towards the door.   
  
Cautiously she opened the door a crack and peeked out, seeing nobody in the hallway. So she slid through the crack and shut the door gently behind her, looking around at the walls and ceiling for security cameras, but not seeing any. Either they were hidden or the hunters weren't really prepared for a breakout, both of which seemed unlikely.  
  
After deciding not to press her luck by investigating, she darted down the hallway, the clang of her feet against the hard steel floor the only sounds ringing through almost completely empty hallway.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zero stood on top of the mound of desert sand that masked the maverick base from plain view, looking out across the desert for any signs that he'd been followed. He regretted having to oust Panther after she'd risked her life to get him out of his prison, but there would have been no other way to convince X that what he was saying was true.  
  
He was brought to attention by a faint glimmer in the desert far away from them. He would have mistaken it for heat distortion if he didn't have the ability to counteract that for desert missions. When he saw the glimmer again he quickly whipped out the binoculars he'd taken from the base and looked out across the desert where he'd seen the glimmers. Sure enough what looked like three whole units of maverick hunters was heading their way. Led by none other than X himself.  
  
Zero felt a slight pang when he saw X marching at the head of his unit, looking as determined and ready to fight as ever. What Zero had given him didn't seem to have fazed him at all, he still thought Zero and everyone else here was all just mavericks trying to cause trouble.   
  
Three units wasn't really much for a full on assault, but since Zero could only assume most other hunters agreed with the mavericks it was all that was still loyal. This battle would likely be over quickly... Resulting in the utter destruction of the maverick hunter ranks... Followed by the downfall of the government, overthrown by the reploids they'd tried to wipe out...  
  
But still, seeing X at the front of the opposing army nagged at him, making him wonder if he was really on the right side of all this. What if he was only helping to further one of Viles schemes... What if all he was fighting for was Viles own lust for power?  
  
No, he wasn't playing Zero this time. Everything pointed to the government being the aggressor in this scenario. He was helping to preserve his entire race from eradication. He had to believe that... Otherwise, all of this was for nothing.  
  
Zero couldn't help a small sigh that escaped his lips as he watched the oncoming maverick hunter army with his old friend at the head. "I guess the time's come for the truth to be known. Who's right... You or me?" With that Zero turned away from the lines of war and ducked down to reveal the hidden hatch that was the back door into the maverick base to report what he'd seen. The battle was coming, they had to prepare.  
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Roll stumbled into a solid steel wall, catching herself quickly before she could collapse entirely. What was wrong with her? It was like all of her strength was fading slowly. She could feel herself getting weaker by the moment as she continued along the hallway, sliding her shoulder against the wall just to keep herself upright.   
  
She rounded a turn in the hall only to see a hunter standing a few yards in front of her. He whirled the moment he heard the sound of her sliding against the wall.  
  
"Halt! Identify yourself!" He yelled, quickly drawing the laser pistol at his side.  
  
"R... R..." Roll sputtered as she felt herself losing consciousness and collapsing to the ground with a loud thud. The last thing she could hear was the guard calling for assistance to get her to medical.  
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Zero walked along at his place at the head of the maverick army right beside Vile, keeping a steady pace as they marched out of the base to meet their enemies. After discussing it, they'd decided to try one last time to get them to reconsider this war, but if it came down to it, they wouldn't hesitate to fight.  
  
The two armies met and halted, each sizing the other up. The maverick army was clearly far larger than their enemies, but they wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating their opponents, especially with X at the helm.  
  
"Stop this all now." X demanded, standing firm as he squarely faced Zero and Vile. Faintly Zero could already hear the power stored up in X's arm cannon. This meant he was anticipating a fight, well he wouldn't be disappointed. X's cannon, though over fifty years old, was still considered one of the deadliest weapons on the planet.  
  
"We can't, everything depends on this." Vile stated before Zero could say anything, his voice echoing from his helmet. It was probably for the best, Zero felt sick to his stomach at what he knew was about to happen.  
  
"The same human hating drivel I hear from all mavericks." X said, sneering at Vile viciously. "The choice is yours. You can surrender, or fight. Either way, make your move now."  
  
Vile looked up and down the ranks of his army, as though seriously thinking it over. Zero's grip tightened around his saber though, he knew Vile had no intention of surrender, as did X.   
  
"FIGHT!" Vile screamed at the top of his lungs, the mavericks opening fire all at once even as the hunters returned fire. Reploids fell quickly on both sides as hand to hand fighters invaded each side, causing what havoc they could in the opposing army.   
  
Zero leapt over the first wave of hunters, whirling his blade in a huge arc, taking down five hunters with one swing before whirling and dodging to the side as others opened fire on him.   
  
The discharge of energy weapons and clash of steel rang throughout the battlefield as the two armies fought, neither side showing any intention of stopping. They all believed in what they were fighting for and all believed they were in the right.  
  
Zero slashed viciously at another hunter, splitting him in half straight down the center before being assaulted from another side and being forced to dodge again. The battle seemed to last for ages as he weaved through the masses of the hunter army, striking whenever he saw an opportunity, skillfully dodging any weapons fire that might head his way.   
  
By this point Zero noted that the armies were hopelessly intermeshed, making using long distance weapons hazardous, one dodge and you could fry your own teammate. So most had resorted to backup weapons, claws, swords, sabers, fists, whatever each fighter had up his sleeve he brought to bear now.  
  
Zero slashed yet more hunters and whirled, his saber flying in a decapitating arc. He paused in mid swing just inches from severing Panthers head from her neck, just staring at her steadily.  
  
Panther was silent for a long while, just staring back at him. "I'm sorry." Finally she whirled quickly away from his blade, lashing out with her blade-whip. It bit deep into his chest plate, revealing wires and circuitry underneath his red armor.  
  
He put one hand over the wound even as he lunged forward, swinging at her skillfully. She dodged and weaved to avoid his blade, striking back with her own weapon.  
  
So they fought in a dance that only one would come out of standing. That is until Zero swung his sword at the same time Panther lashed out with her weapon. The blade whip wound itself haphazardly around the blade of Zero's saber, locking them together as the white hot laser melted the metal of the whip, making it join together to render both of their weapons useless.  
  
"Damnit!" They both exclaimed at the same time, staring at the melded weapons incredulously. Finally Zero threw away the now useless weapons and faced her squarely, his fists at the ready by his sides.  
  
They lunged at the same time, catching each others fists. They stared at each other as both fought for the advantage, trying to overcome the other in a test of strength. With all of this though, Zero didn't see any anger or hatred in Panthers eyes, only a cold mask that was the mark of a soldier during battle. In her eyes though, Zero could see through the mask, he could see she didn't want to do this.  
  
"Panther..." He said loosening his hold slightly and feeling her do the same. Suddenly a flash of light sparked through her stomach and her eyes went wide open in shock. Looking down, Zero saw a hole the size of his fist going straight through her stomach.  
  
"Zero..." She muttered as she fell to her knees, holding her stomach against the pain.  
  
"Panther!" Zero exclaimed as he knelt beside her to help her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Vile watching them, the cannon on his shoulder still smoking from the shot. He turned his attention back to Panther in time to see her systems had already shut down, though whether she could still be repaired was questionable.  
  
Gently he lay her on the ground before getting to his feet, facing Vile, his fists clenched with a primal rage no reploid had ever known before... Except for him. The blue jewel encrusted into his helmet began to glow brightly as he lunged at Vile, howling viciously.  
  
Without a moments hesitation Vile opened fire, the shots tearing through his armor viciously. Zero was quickly sent to the ground under the barrage of cannon-fire, his body sparking viciously. He tried to get up, but fell back to the ground weakly, growling to himself at his own weakness even as Vile stood over him, the cannon on his shoulder taking aim directly toward Zero's head.  
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X fired another plasma shot, blowing two mavericks into a pile on the ground before he caught sight of Zero sprawled on the ground with Panther near him, Vile standing over him. For a few moments X actually thought to let it happen, let him get what he deserved for betraying the maverick hunters over the word of one of the most notorious mavericks of all time.  
  
"What am I thinking?" X said to himself softly, putting one hand to his head. "I can't abandon him..." With that he fought his way through the battlefield towards where he'd seen them, trying to reach them before vile could finish it.  
  
Finally he found them, Viles cannon charging up to full power as X slammed the end of his own cannon against the back of Viles head. "Don't breathe." He said, letting the hum of his own cannon powering up be enough incentive for Vile to remain as still as he could.   
  
"X..." Zero said weakly, the sparks flying from his body and making him wince in pain. For a brief moment X almost thought he saw a letter formed in the jewel embedded into his helmet, but it disappeared fast enough he simply chalked it off to the rush of battle getting to him.  
  
Vile took advantage of his distraction, whirling away from him and back-fisting him across the face. X, caught by surprise, lost the concentration he needed to maintain the energy charge in his cannon, without it the cannon discharged all stored up energy automatically. The blast tore through the throng of battling reploids around them, mavericks and hunters alike were disintegrated in an instant as the plasma bullet cleaved a path through the battlefield.   
  
X hit the ground and took a moment to look at the damage his cannon had caused. This moment was all Vile needed to take advantage of everything, readying his already charged up cannon and firing it at Zero, intent on finishing him off before anyone could stop him.  
  
"No!" X yelled when he finally realized what was going on, but by then it was already too late. Time seemed to slow down to them as the sparkling energy streaked towards Zero, who could only lie weakly on the ground and watch as it came upon him, his fists clenched tightly in anger.  
  
X watched in surprise as Zero rolled to his feet away from the shot, which blew a section of the ground up into the air. Without hesitation X raised his cannon and fired straight at Vile before he could regain his balance from firing his blast. The plasma shot tore into his back, disintegrating the armor as though it was nothing and sending him to the ground. Another shot quickly tore the cannon from Viles back, preventing him from fighting any further as well as making him howl in pain.  
  
X smirked down at him, putting his hands on his hips. "You never learn." He said, turning away from Vile as Zero approached, limping and holding his side painfully as the sparks escaped from his body in droves. They just watched each other silently for a long time before Zero finally extended one hand to X, which he promptly took.  
  
Now they turned away from Vile and turned to the matter of the war they still had to finish, but now, side by side as they should be.  
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ENERGY LEVELS DANGEROUSLY LOW AND FALLING... AUTOMATIC MEMORY FILE ACCESS... COLLECTING DATA...  
  
"Hello Roll." Roll recognized the voice instantly as belonging to Doctor Light, but how could that be? "I'm sorry I had to deceive you. The chip I planted in you made a small rupture in your energy matrix. It's too small to detect until it's too late." Roll tried to respond, but found she couldn't do anything, not move, or talk, or even look. Only listen. "Hopefully by this time you've led a nice and full life as any human would. But Rock will not be as you knew him, he cannot know the details of his demise or rebirth... You cannot be with him again... But hopefully you will be with me again... I love you Roll..."  
  
MEMORY FILE ENDED... WARNING, ENERGY REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS.  
  
She managed to curl her lips into a faint smile with the last of her energy, startling the reploid standing over her, who'd undoubtedly already thought her dead. "There is no pain..." She said softly to herself as she blacked out again, feeling every system in her body blink out one by one until her neural matrix finally went dead as well.  
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Zero watched solemnly as the reploids carted off the remains of Roll Light into one of their jeeps, hauling it off to a place where it would be stored among the treasures of the past. She had been one of the first of the first wave of reploids then known as cyber-humans. He didn't like the thought she'd be in a museum, but he couldn't think of a better centerpiece than her.  
  
X placed a hand on his shoulder gently. He'd seen Zero's memories of his short time with her, he knew what Zero had been thinking and feeling. "How you holding up?" He asked.  
  
"Well enough." Zero said, staring after the jeep long after it had gone. "I let myself be blinded... Vile deceived me and would never have hesitated to destroy me at the slightest hint of rebellion..."  
  
"Don't worry about it so much. I often wonder about some of the things he was talking about myself. I know a lot of humans don't like reploids because we're abominations of nature and stuff, but there are probably more rotten humans than rotten reploids..." X said thoughtfully.  
  
"And why would they clean us up before cleaning themselves up..." Zero finished the unspoken thought, smirking a bit at himself.  
  
"Humans are good overall. But there are still some mavericks, that's why we're around, and that's why the humans have their own brand of maverick hunters." X stated.  
  
"The police... God, I can't believe I let Vile blind me..." Zero groaned, putting his head in his hands.  
  
"I was almost fooled myself actually... It would be easy for us to get rid of this fear of oppression by getting rid of humans. Vile used that to get his way, and it fooled hundreds of reploids, not just you..." X said comfortingly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Just then Panther came out of the main entrance, walking up to join them.  
  
"Panther..." Zero said ashamedly, but she just stopped him by putting one hand over his mouth quickly.  
  
"Good to have you back Zero." She said, taking his hand. "Let's go inside." Silently he let himself be dragged inside Maverick Hunter HQ. After all he'd done and all he'd gone through, he figured it was time for a little time off. After all, X had a break right before this all began, why shouldn't he have one?  
  
THE END 


End file.
